Chief Executive Officer (CEO) — HFS Research MENA

Turn Intelligence into Impact. Establish the Business. Drive Advisory Growth. About ICG & HFS Research MENA We Build High-Performance Organizations. At Innovation Consulting Group (ICG), we support leading organizations across Saudi Arabia and MENA through integrated strategic advisory, technology transformation, market intelligence, artificial intelligence, and enterprise capability development. Our business ecosystem brings together international expertise, specialized research capabilities, and regional market relationships to help organizations make better strategic decisions and achieve measurable transformation outcomes. HFS Research MENA is part of ICG's portfolio, focused on Enterprise Research, Technology Advisory, Market Intelligence, Digital Transformation Research, and Strategic Consulting. The business is entering its initial regional establishment and commercialization phase, creating an opportunity for an entrepreneurial and commercially accomplished Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to build and lead its operations across Saudi Arabia and the wider MENA region. We are seeking a leader capable of converting global research expertise, executive relationships, and market opportunities into a sustainable regional advisory and research business. Role Overview The CEO will be responsible for establishing HFS Research MENA's regional presence, developing its commercial strategy, securing initial clients, activating international research capabilities, and building a scalable advisory business. This role requires strong executive relationships, consulting business development experience, the ability to sell high-value research and advisory services, and ownership of commercial and financial performance. The CEO will lead the development of research subscriptions, strategic advisory engagements, enterprise intelligence programs, and long-term institutional partnerships. What You Will Do Business Establishment & Regional Strategy Lead the establishment, launch, and operationalization of HFS Research MENA. Develop the business establishment plan, regional operating model, and market-entry strategy. Coordinate corporate registration, licensing, operational processes, and regulatory requirements with ICG. Define target industries, commercial priorities, service positioning, and growth objectives. Develop a multi-year business plan covering Saudi Arabia, GCC, and selected MENA markets. Establish governance, reporting structures, and operational performance frameworks. Revenue Growth & Commercial Development Personally lead commercial activities to secure the company's first enterprise clients and advisory engagements. Build a qualified pipeline across public-sector entities, major corporations, technology providers, and strategic institutions. Develop revenue through enterprise research subscriptions, technology advisory engagements, strategic consulting, and market intelligence solutions. Identify and close multi-year research and advisory agreements. Lead RFPs, RFIs, consulting proposals, pricing discussions, and contract negotiations. Develop commercial account strategies, sales forecasts, and client acquisition programs. Establish disciplined CRM, opportunity management, and commercial performance processes. Expand existing relationships into recurring subscriptions and long-term advisory partnerships. Research, Advisory & Market Intelligence Leadership Position HFS Research MENA as a trusted regional provider of technology research and strategic intelligence. Commercialize research capabilities across AI, digital transformation, enterprise technology, automation, outsourcing, and emerging industry trends. Develop regional market intelligence initiatives aligned with Saudi Vision 2030 and enterprise priorities. Identify demand for benchmarking, competitive intelligence, technology assessments, and advisory programs. Translate international research capabilities into relevant solutions for Saudi and MENA clients. Collaborate with global research analysts and advisory specialists to develop client-specific engagements. Ensure the commercial relevance, quality, and delivery readiness of proposed research and advisory solutions. Executive Engagement & Strategic Accounts Establish relationships with CEOs, CIOs, CTOs, Chief Strategy Officers, Chief Transformation Officers, and senior government executives. Develop strategic accounts across government, financial services, energy, telecom, technology, and major enterprises. Lead executive discussions on technology trends, transformation priorities, market disruption, and investment decisions. Organize executive roundtables, industry briefings, strategic workshops, and thought-leadership engagements. Build long-term trusted advisory relationships with enterprise decision-makers. Identify opportunities for enterprise-wide research subscriptions and strategic advisory programs. Partnerships & Ecosystem Development Activate cooperation with the international HFS Research ecosystem. Establish commercial relationships with consulting firms, technology vendors, systems integrators, and regional industry associations. Develop joint research initiatives, market intelligence programs, and strategic advisory partnerships. Coordinate with ICG's consulting, technology, AI, research, and capability development businesses. Identify cross-selling opportunities and integrated strategic transformation programs. Develop relationships with universities, research centers, and professional institutions where commercially relevant. Business Operations & Team Development Establish the company's initial operating structure and commercial infrastructure. Recruit and lead research business development, account management, and operational resources based on business growth. Develop delivery coordination processes between regional clients and international research teams. Establish quality standards, customer engagement practices, and performance KPIs. Build a commercially focused advisory organization with strong client relationships and recurring revenue. Financial Leadership & P&L Assume responsibility for commercial growth, profitability, budgets, and P&L. Develop annual operating plans, revenue forecasts, and financial performance targets. Manage startup costs and investment requirements. Monitor subscription revenue, advisory revenue, client acquisition, margins, and operating expenses. Report financial and commercial performance to ICG leadership. What You Bring 12–15+ years of experience in management consulting, technology research, strategic advisory, market intelligence, or enterprise technology. Proven success selling consulting, research subscriptions, and high-value advisory services. Strong executive relationships with government entities and major enterprises across Saudi Arabia and GCC. Experience establishing, developing, or scaling consulting or professional services businesses. Demonstrated ability to originate and close complex, multi-stakeholder advisory engagements. Strong understanding of enterprise AI, digital transformation, outsourcing, technology markets, and emerging trends. Experience managing international research, consulting, or advisory partnerships. Strong commercial leadership, strategic account management, and negotiation capabilities. Financial planning, profitability management, and P&L experience. Excellent executive presentation and stakeholder engagement skills. Arabic and English fluency required. Why Join HFS Research MENA? Opportunity to establish and lead a regional technology research and advisory business. Access to an international research and advisory ecosystem. Strategic support from ICG and its regional business relationships. Direct engagement with senior government, enterprise, and technology leaders. Opportunity to commercialize high-value research, intelligence, and advisory solutions. Competitive executive compensation with performance-based incen